June 3, 2018 | The 23rd Times

Come Sit With Me

by: Deacon Rich Klish

The St. John XXIII Adoration Chapel is nearing completion, and should be finished in late August or early September. All parishioners will be welcome to this sacred building, which you can see being constructed near the front of the Church.

Eucharistic adoration involves the Blessed Sacrament being adored by the faithful. Adoration happens when the Eucharist is exposed in a monstrance – a sacred vessel designed for display of the Sacred Host (It can also be experienced when the Eucharist is in a church tabernacle.) Adoration is based on the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Host.

Prayer during adoration is silent prayer. Adorers usually commit to one full hour to sit with Jesus. Some pray the rosary, or the liturgy of the hours, or offer prayers of adoration and intercession. Some read the Sacred Scriptures or other spiritual texts. Others simply spend quiet time with God.

The chapel will seat a maximum of twenty, and will be equipped with a security system, telephone and Internet access. The Sacred Host will be displayed in a monstrance. The chapel will be used exclusively for adoration, so no Masses, weddings or other worship will be offered there.

Presently, our parish has Eucharistic adoration on the first Friday of every month after the 8am Mass, and on Friday evenings during Lent there is a benediction followed by adoration. We would like to expand the adoration times starting in early October, offering this chance to worship during regular office hours: 8:30am to 4pm Monday through Friday. To make this happen, we need the involvement of parishioners who would volunteer to spend an hour a week (or even more!) in adoration. Depending on the response from the parish community, we could grow to offer Perpetual Adoration – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The benefits of Eucharistic adoration are profound and many. St. John XXIII has said: “There is no doubt that a flood of graces will descend upon your family and the world if more souls would become pupils of adoration”.

Parish Benefits:

An increase in vocations

An increase in Mass attendance and reception of the sacraments

A heightened desire to serve the greater community

Greater activity in evangelization

Individual Experience:

Spiritual growth

A deepened prayer life

Experiencing peace in other areas of life

A richer friendship with Jesus

…and many, many more!

Learn More:

If you would like to learn more about this new opportunity for worship, you are invited to attend one of our presentations about the Adoration Chapel. All are in the Community Room: